Apparatus for handling telegraph messages with a plastic tape



July 19, 1949. c. W. HANSELL APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TELEGRAPH MESSAGESWITH A PLASTIC TAPE Filed Aug. l0, 1946 ATTO RN EY Patented July 19,1949 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TELEGRAPH MESSAGES WITH A PLASTIC TAPEClarence W. Hansell, Port Jelerson, N. Y., assignor to Radio Corporationof America, a corporation of Delaware Application August 10, 1946,Serial No. 689,653

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful apparatus for making and usinga thermoplastic tape for handling telegraph messages, such as, forexample, sending, receiving, and recording or relaying of messages bymeans of perforated tape. For some ldescription of a part of the priorart, reference may be made to a book entitled Submarine Telegraphy, byDuncan I-I. Cameron, published .by International Textbook Co., Scranton,Pai See also a book Submarine Telegraphy, Part II, Instruction Paperprepared by the Engineers of the Western Union Telegraph Co., AmericanSchool, Chicago.

An object of this invention is to reduce cost andto permit continuousoperation of telegraph tape perforating; also, to reduce the wear andtear on the punches used in the telegraph perforators.

Prior to m'y invention, paper tapes were used which required the storageof a large number of rolls. Also, the telegraph apparatus had to be shutdown when a new roll was placed in an operating position. The paper tapeof the prior art was discarded after it had served its useful purpose ofcommunicating the message. My invention overcomes the disadvantage ofthe prior art by providing a continuous operation from a vesselcontaining a thermoplastic which is maintained in a liquid state. Theliquid plastic is conveyed through along cooled guide or slot havingapproximately the same cross section as the desired finished tape. Hereit is solidified in the proper thickness and width, and then passed intothe telegraph perforating apparatus where it is perforated in accordancewith the telegraph messages, in the manner commonly employed inautomatic telegraph transmission. The tape is then fed through anautomatic transmitting machine which is actuated by perforatons in thetape to send the message. After use, the tape is returned to a storagetank for remelting and for the making of new tape from the material. Thetape may be returned manually (or preferably, automatically) to themelting tank or vessel containing the plastic. Thus the plastic materialfor the tape is used over and over again.

This invention will be more completely understood by referring to theaccompanying drawing, in which a vessel I contains a thermoplastic 2which is maintained in a liquid state. A pipe 3 runs from the lowerportion of vessel Iy to a second vessel or tank 4. A float control valve5 is provided for maintaining a constant level of the molten plasticmaterial in the second vessel 4. The thermoplastic 2 is preferablypolyethylene,

which melts at a temperature of approximately 350 F., the heatingtemperature being Vprovided by means of electric heaters E and 'I. Thetemperature of the electric heaters is maintained by a heat controldevice 8 which is electrically connected to an electrical supply source3. The liquid material from vessel II runs through a gate or suitablevalve mechanism It and1 then drops upon a conveyer belt I I which isoperated by an electric moto-r I2 which is connected to one of therollers by means of a belt I3. Located at the surface of the conveyerbelt I I is a cooling coil I4 through which passes a suitablerefrigerant from a source I5. A cooling control device IE is interposedbetween coil I and source I5. If additional cooling is required, a fanI4A may be provided for air cooling the tape. After the tape passes overthe conveyor belt, it is formed in a semi-plastic tape 2A. The tape 2Apasses through a long cooled guide or slot 2B having the same crosssection as the desired finished tape. It then passes around or betweenrollers I'I, I8, I9, 20, 2| and 22 which may stretch and further reducethe thickness of the tape to the desired dimension, which is preferablyin the order of 1 mil thick. The tape 2A then passes over a guide Wheel23 which is driven by any suitable means (not shown), the speed of whichis adjusted to operate with the telegraph perforating apparatus 24. Inorder to take care of any lag or lead in the speeds of members 23 and24, a loop 25 is provided. After the tape passes through the telegraphperforating apparatus as indicated at 26, and its intelligence utilized,it is then placed in a storage tank 2'I which is electrically heated bymeans of an electric heater 28. Here it is remelted and used over again.Where it is desired to save the used tapes, a pump 29 is provided toautomatically return the plastic liquid from the storage tank 2 backinto the vessel I. The pump 29 is interposed between storage tank 2'Iand vessel I, and connected by means of pipe lines 30 and 3| as shown bythe broken lines. If preferred, the tape may be delivered, by suitablepullers, directly back to tank I for remelting.

Although this invention is disclosed as being used for telegraphperforating apparatus, it can be advantageously applied in facsimilerecording systems where the record is to be available for use for only ashort time, such as in train announcing systems and so forth. With suchan arrangement, wide tapes or strips of thermoplastic material are to beemployed.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for producing a plastic tape complastic into a semi-plasticstate, means for pass-` ing said tape through telegraph Vperforatingapgence, means for utilizing the intelligence onf'sai'd tape, and meansto then return ^`said perforated tape to a liquid stateaftertslrrtelligence has been utilized.

2. Apparatus for producing a'plastic .tape cornprising a first vesselcontaining' 'a ''liiidplastia' l0. paratus to be perforated with-tegraph'intlli- 4' Y Y i 3; Apparatus for producing a plastic tape cmprising afirst vessel containing a Vfluid plastic, a second vesselinfiuid'communication with said rst vessel, means to control the uidplastic s' level in said second vessel, means for regulating tthetemperature of said .'rst mnd -second regulated flow from said fluidplastic, a movable belt to receive Y and convey said plastic,

means located above said belt for forming and Y 'chilling :the-iluidplastic into a semi-plastic state,

` 'a plurality of rollers for -passingrsaid tape therea second vessel influid communication With-fsaid first vessel, means for regulating thetemperature of saidirst and second vessel, a ,gate Von said secondvessel to permit a .regulated .how from said-ud "plastic a movable "beltto receive and convey said plastic, means Ylocate'dfabove said belt 'for'forming -and vchillinglthe ilu'id plastic into a'se'm'i-plas'tic state,.aplurality vof ,rollersorpassing saidtape therethrough to obtain thedesi'iedthickness `of* said tape, means vfor passing salti tape 'throughtelegraph perforating apparatus t'o `be 'perforated `rwithV telegraphintelligence, means to utilize said tape 'for communication purposes-a'fter thas Ypassed 'through said telegraph 4p'erfvorating apparatus,and Ameans 'to Vthen 'eftn said "tape -to a liquid state Nafter its'intell'ig'rice ha'sbeenutilized. l

, throughto .obtain the desired thickness of said dia-pe,-rlieans-for,passing said tape through teleigraph fperforating .apparatus Ato beperforated with telegraph intelligence, means to utilize said tapeorcommunication purposes after itrpasses' A through -saicl telegraphperforating apparatus; and means to return said tape to a liquid state,andfmeans -fto `vreturn i-t tossaid firstV vessel fatteritsintell-igencehas-heenutilized. I Y

M aune as, urnsr

